More Than What Meets the Eye
by Dumbledore'sArmy18
Summary: Lena Dumbledore is Aberforth's granddaughter and a witch. In her Hogwarts years, she befriends Albus P, Rose W, and unexpectedly Scorpius M. Join the four in a thrill ride through the terrors of Dark Arts and the mysteries that lie just beyond the veil.
1. Six Years in the Past

**Author's Note: Hey, everyone! This is my first fan fiction, and I'm really excited since I've been wanting to do this for awhile! I hope you enjoy it as much I do myself! Read and Review! Thanks! :)**

**Six Years in the Past:**

"Alright, sweetheart, go on through the barrier," Granddad Aberforth said beaming down on Lena. She was a petite eleven-year-old with extraordinary blue eyes and long blond hair split into two braids. An excited smile spread on the girl's face as she raced into the brick wall between Platform Nine and Ten.

Just before Lena could crash into the wall, she slipped through it and found herself on Platform Nine and Three Quarters. The Platform she had been anxious to see since the day she got her Hogwarts letter.

Aberforth came through the barrier next and set an encouraging hand on Lena's shoulder. He gave her a proud smile though she wasn't sure she deserved it. She wasn't as compassionate as Aberforth or as brilliant as her Great Uncle Albus Dumbledore, but many people said she was.

"You'll be sure to write, Granddad?" she asked.

"Every week, Madalena," he replied his blue eyes just as piercing and twinkling as her own. He was old, of course, but Lena didn't think him like that. She thought he was a younger man who lived in an old man's body. She'd actually told her Granddad that, he had just laughed his good-natured laugh.

"Let's get your trunk in a compartment, shall we?"

Lena nodded as they both turned towards the scarlet train known as the Hogwarts Express. Many people crowded around the train in a strange hazy mist that flowed out of it. Some of the families were saying their farewells and some were helping students get their trunks onto the train.

Owls hooted, cats meowed, and toads croaked, the noise echoed throughout the Platform. Lena noticed a family with all red hair, another with white blond hair, and one that looked to be the Potters if she remembered their appearance correctly.

She didn't stare though, it would've been terribly rude, so instead she turned away and helped Aberforth load her trunk and cage into the train. Lena's owl, Archimedes, ruffled his tawny feathers, irritated. Lena grinned and said softly to the bird, "Hush, Archimedes, I'll see you in the compartment in a minute."

The owl silenced at once. Animals always seemed to follow her orders; maybe it had something to do with her calm voice. Then when her things were safely on the train she hopped off and joined the rest of the families saying goodbye.

Aberforth was still grinning at her as he gave her a large bear hug before saying, "Your father would have been proud, Madalena. You are so much like him… And you look like Ariana"—his long dead sister—"as well, spitting image at that…"

He hugged her once more then exclaimed, "Oh, dear! Better get on the train, don't want to miss your first year, do you?"

She nodded. "Goodbye, Granddad, I guess I'll see you at Christmas, then?"

"Of course, Madalena, of course!"

"Love you."

"Love you, too. Hope you have a great time and learn loads."

Lena smiled then departed to board the train. In the corridor she had just started walking along when she ran head long into somebody. The boy was rather tall for his age and had white blond hair and almost translucent blue eyes.

"I'm terribly sorry," Lena apologized sincerely.

"'Ts alrigh'," the boy mumbled.

Lena gave him an encouraging smile, the boy, stunned, stuttered, "Y-you in f-first year?"

"Yes," she replied. "Are you?"

"Yeah-h, I'm Scorpius Malfoy. W-what's your name?""

She was stunned to hear the name. Prejudices welled up inside her, but she quickly shoved them down. She couldn't judge people before she knew them; it would go against all that her Granddad taught her.

"Lena," she paused. "Lena Dumbledore."

Scorpius's eyes widened. "D-D-Dumbledore? Like Albus Dumbledore?"

Lena avoided his eyes as she said, "Ahh… yes. He was my… Great Uncle."

He nodded then frowned. "You probably recognize my name as well…"

Suddenly she smiled, meeting his eyes, and said wisely, "That was them, I suppose. Its best we look to the future, right?"

He nodded again; a look of confusion went across his face at her kindness.

"You want to find a compartment?" Lena asked still smiling kindly.

"Sure."

Scorpius seemed utterly perplexed now. He obviously hadn't expected this much kindness from the grand niece of the Headmaster his father had attempted to kill.

They sauntered down the rather crowded hall in a silence that was not too terribly awkward. Lena checked each and every compartment but they all seemed to be full. Sighing out of frustration, she practically shoved her way through the gathering crowd. Scorpius followed in her wake, a tentative expression on his face.

Finally, she found a compartment that wasn't completely empty—a girl with a mane of curly red hair and a boy with jet black hair occupied it—but she though it would have to do. Sliding open the glass door, she asked the girl placidly, "Mind if we take a seat?"

Scorpius loomed in the background, his height clearly exceeding Lena's. The boy and girl glanced up interestedly. The red head glowered at the sight of Scorpius, but the boy, who had eyes so bright green it was entrancing, stared blankly at Lena.

"I don't want _that _sitting next to me," the red head said unmistakably recognizing Scorpius as the son of the hated Malfoy.

Lena frowned and said, "Is it too much to ask to forget your prejudices for one train ride?"

The girl looked taken aback; the boy, however, smiled slightly and said a bit cheerfully, "She's got you there, Rose," then he paused, deliberating. "You can sit and, please, excuse my cousin's rudeness. Her name is Rose Weasley and I am Albus Potter, by the way."

Rose shot him a quick look before turning her head as if to illustrate her anger. Lena wasn't surprised to find a Potter—or a Weasley for that matter, there was millions of them—on the train. Granddad Aberforth had talked very highly of the Potter's and Weasley's, though they'd never visited.

"It's alright," Lena said with a slight smile appearing on her face. She had just met Albus and she already knew they would be good friends. "This is Scorpius Malfoy and I'm Lena Dumbledore."

Albus gasped and even Rose couldn't resist a furtive glance at her.

"Like Albus Dumbledore?"

Lena nodded. "He's my Great Uncle… And your Harry Potter's son, right?"

"Yes," he said a bit timidly. Lena knew how he felt, she wasn't ashamed of her name but it did give her a lot of unwanted attention.

With that both Lena and Scorpius sat in two remaining seats. Albus and Lena did most of the talking for the first part of the train ride; Scorpius was shy and liked to listen while Rose just seemed indifferent.

But after awhile Rose couldn't help herself and joined in the conversation. Lena found that Rose was actually quite intelligent and seemed to know the textbooks by heart, just like Lena. The more she talked to the two cousins and Scorpius the more she liked them.

Though Lena wasn't at all a Seer, she could tell her Hogwarts years weren't going to be dull.

**Author's Note: Review! Please? Well, thanks for reading anyway! By the way, I will be trying to add new chapters at least every other day (almost summer break!), I don't want to deprive you of this story I've been concocting in my head for awhile now! So, thanks! :)**


	2. Mr Potter

**Author's Note: So hello, again! I was a bit anxious to get another chapter out there... so here it is! Sorry, this one is a bit boring and kinda short but I promise this story will get going next chapter! Well, thanks! Remember to Read and Review! :) By the way, this is six years later from the last chapter! **

**Mr. Potter:**

Lena stood on Platform Nine and Three Quarters. It was fifteen minutes before eleven in the morning and the Hogwarts Express was parked in front of her, but the Platform was oddly empty. It seemed no wizarding family got there early.

She peered at her trunk, it sat lonely next to her with Archimedes' cage on top of it. He cooed softly but otherwise stayed silent. Lena sighed mournfully.

Her dear Granddad had died two years earlier, she was now alone in the world. Her auror mother and father had died when she was two. Lena, as well as emotionally older, looked older, too. Her hair was still long though not in braids, but her cute little baby face had turned into a mature adult face, strong and wise, before she had even turned seventeen.

The clock ticked closer to eleven and families began to show up. Lena glanced around looking for any of her friends. Suddenly, she spotted the Potter's along with Weasley's. She practically tripped over her trunk trying to get their attention. When they saw her they rushed to greet Lena from a long summer apart.

"Lena!" Albus and Rose exclaimed hugging her like best friends should.

"Hey, Albus, Rose," Lena said, her energy restoring from a slightly depressing summer at an orphanage.

Albus was grinning down at her. She realized he had grown taller since fifth year and Rose had certainly grown more to, though she still seemed shorter than Lena.

Lena greeted all the Potter's and Weasley's. They smiled warmly, but Mr. Harry Potter was the warmest of all. Lena and him had some sort of connection that ran as deep as the blood in her veins.

She remembered the first time she met Mr. Potter.

_She had gotten of the train at the end of her first year. Aberforth was waiting for her on the Platform, talking to a certain jet black haired man. Albus ran to his father and hugged him tightly. _

_Lena gave Granddad Aberforth a hug as well, then he introduced her to Mr. Potter._

"_Well, Harry, this is my granddaughter Madalena Ariana Sofia Lyn Dumbledore," he said proudly, probably remembering the letter he got from the school saying she got top marks (Rose and her tied for top in their year)._

_Mr. Potter smiled sincerely and stuck out his hand. She grasped it as he replied, "Nice to meet you, Madalena."_

"_I prefer Lena, Mr. Potter."_

"_Alright, Lena. Then you can call me Harry."_

_But she had refused to call him Harry. It seemed more respectful to call him Mr. Potter and it just felt right to Lena._

So from then on, Lena had found herself calling him Mr. Potter. He didn't seem to mind either.

**Author's Note: Well, I hope you liked it... Anyway, read and review! I'll update soon (next chapter will be longer)! :)**


	3. Jealousy and Slytherins

**Author's Note: Here's the next chapter and as I promised it is longer! Just a warning, this story goes from Albus Potter's POV and Lena Dumbledore's POV. Well, read and review! and... Enjoy! :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I just realized I haven't given J.K. Rowling the right amount of credit. She owns it, not me.**

**Jealousy and Slytherins:**

Albus greeted Lena as usual, he smiled down at her like a good friend as usual, he hugged her like a best friend but no more as usual. But that was just a façade, inside he was weary though he was also happy to see Lena. But she went on treating him like she always did… like a friend. And he hated it.

When she was finished greeting Rose and himself, she moved on to welcome the rest of his family. Lena was always impossibly kind. Albus couldn't help but stare as he realized she had gotten even lovelier since last year. Her hair, making soft waves down her back, was a beautiful honey blond while her blue eyes were twinkling and piercing.

He jerked his head away, he couldn't be caught watching her. Surely Rose would take notice and figure out the unsaid things in a flash. She probably inherited the family trait to identify things that go without saying.

He sighed sadly. He couldn't tell Lena—or anyone else—that he loved her. How could he? She was perfect in everyway… she was way too good for him.

"Hey, Al," Lena said smiling, awakening him from his dismal thoughts, "should I be asking Lysander and Lorcan how to rid people of Wrackspurt?"

Lysander and Lorcan Scamander were in fifth year and Luna Lovegood's sons. Albus chuckled along with Lena and Rose, but they weren't making fun of the Scamanders. They were all such good friends that they allowed them to tease them once in awhile.

Then, appearing out of thin air it seemed, Scorpius arrived with a bright smile plastered on his face. He was looking as dashing as ever with his blond hair lying so flat, something Albus's black locks would never achieve. He greeted Albus, then hugged his cousin and Lena but when finished left his arm on Lena's shoulder. The color in her long face turned a soft pink as she gave Scorpius a hesitant smile.

It was obvious. So obvious that only the world's biggest git wouldn't have seen it coming. Apparently, Albus Potter was the world's biggest git.

One minute he was happy, the next he was beyond angry. He was jealous. A monster in his chest roared, but he tried to keep his expression impassive. Tried and failed.

Scorpius nor Lena seemed to notice the furious Albus, they were too busy talking animatedly to each other, no doubt catching up on summer activities. But Rose detected his hostility and observed him before giving him a quizzical look. Clearly Albus's plan to keep his fancy for Lena a secret had worked. It didn't feel like much of an accomplishment to him.

He took a deep breath and once again tried to keep his expression blank. This time, however, it worked, and he even managed to give the couple a light-hearted—but fake—smile. Albus thought he was pretty convincing, yet Rose's blue eyes still had an appearance of distrust as she looked into his green ones.

"I'm going to go put my trunk on the train," Albus muttered, turning to his trunk. He walked towards the scarlet train—the Hogwarts Express—and was followed closely by Rose, who found him virtually spitting with envy.

"You fancy Lena, don't you?" she asked a little smugly, standing in his way.

Albus glowered at his cousin then pushed past her.

"I'm sorry, Al! I didn't know… how long have you liked her?" she asked curiously as she continued to walk next to him with her own heavy trunk in hand.

He ignored the question and walked silently to the train.

"Come on! Please tell me! You know you can trust me, right?" Rose said sounding a bit hurt. They loaded there trunks into the train without great difficulty.

Albus snapped, "A lot longer than Scorpius."

Rose frowned. "Oh, come now, Albus, please! You can trust me."

He sighed and replied tiredly, "I know. But… I've liked her since I met her, okay?"

Sympathy rose in his cousin's eyes. She looked sad, like she wanted Lena to like him instead of Scorpius. But Albus doubted that.

"I don't want your pity, though, Rose," he snarled and stalked off. This time Rose did not pursue him but just stood there with a sad expression on her dainty face.

**...**

Lena didn't notice when Albus departed nor when Rose, and her bushy mane of hair, left to follow him. She was too busy talking to Scorpius, who was telling her an enthralling tale about his summer holiday. Evidently, he went to Romania to see the dragons.

Lena hung onto his every word, but when she tried to put her two cents in he cut her off and continued to talk. It was a bit irritating. She assumed that Scorpius was just really enthused about his summer vacation and silently forgave him.

Minutes later, Lena realized her missing friends. "Huh? Where is Rose and Albus?"

Scorpius shrugged and glanced around the Platform as the whistle blew on the train. A warning to make sure people get on the train in five minutes.

"He went to get a compartment," a voice said behind them. They twisted around to find Rose standing there, not meeting any of there eyes.

Lena nodded and frowned. Rose was looking sad as if something horrible happened to Albus.

"He's fine," Rose said quickly, reading Lena's expression perfectly. "He's just a bit tired this morning."

Lena nodded, though she still was uncertain. Rose just displayed a smile on her face and said goodbye to her parents. Scorpius left for a tad time to say a goodbye to his parents as well.

Lena stood, slightly awkward, and waited for her friends. Seconds later, Albus appeared and gave her a tired smile and she returned it as she looked into his green eyes. They were tired and sad.

Albus said farewell to his own famous parents and then they hurried onto the train. Scorpius put his arm around Lena again and she noticed how Albus's back stiffened. _How odd, _she thought.

"I found an empty compartment over here," Albus said nodding to the middle of the train. They ambled over to the compartment and found it empty, just as Albus said.

Lena sat beside Scorpius and Rose next to Albus. It was just as it had in there first year, Lena remembered. Except they were much older now, going into sixth year to be exact. And Scorpius wasn't as shy as he had been in first year.

"Did everyone have a good summer?" Rose asked as the train started to pull out of the Platform.

"Oh, definitely! Mine was excellent!" Scorpius said excitedly.

"You went to Romania, right?"

Scorpius nodded, smiling so brilliantly it made Lena's heart flutter.

"My Uncle lives done there. Uncle Charlie's always telling us stories about the dragons down there, but I bet it's nothing compared to seeing it with your eyes!"

Then both Scorpius and Rose went on a happy rant about dragons. Lena smiled to herself. She was so glad to be going back to Hogwarts, it was her only home, well since her Granddad died.

She glanced out the window as London passed by her. It was a wonderful city, but she preferred the view farther along the train ride, when it was rolling hills and pastures.

"Did you have a good summer, Lena?" Albus asked his eyes still sad. She was happy he'd asked, not even Scorpius had the courtesy to ask her. That's why she liked Albus, he was incredibly nice and if it weren't for her fancying Scorpius, she might've liked him. He was such a gentlemen, not that Scorpius wasn't.

"It was… dull," Lena replied truthfully.

Albus nodded in understanding then he smiled. "Mine was, too, except when I nearly beat my dad to the Snitch last month."

Lena laughed and for a second the tiredness in Albus's eyes disappeared. "I wasn't surprised to find you Quidditch Captain this summer."

He smiled proudly then glanced out the window.

...

The rest of the train ride went without much trouble though at half past two the foursome had a few unwanted visitors. Albus was feeding his snowy owl, Aurora, and Archimedes some owl treats, Rose was reading a book, unsurprisingly, and Lena was talking to Scorpius.

"Eh, nerds, had a good summer?" a boy as dumb as he looked sneered.

"Oh, shove off, Goyle," Rose said without even looking up from her book.

"Be nice, Weasley," Goyle replied, snatching the book out of her hands. "Just 'cause your parents are famous doesn't mean you can be rude."

Rose glared, which looked so much like Albus's Gram's glare that he was surprised Goyle wasn't cowering in fear.

"Naughty, naughty, Weasley. We are guest's, shouldn't you treat us with respect?" another boy, who was enormous, asked, faking innocence.

"I don't have to, if you're going to taunt me, Blaise," Rose snapped.

Blaise smiled though it was more like a mock.

"Just because I'm not on Prefect duties at the moment," Lena cut in before it got too bad, "doesn't mean I can't get you in trouble, Avery."

Avery Blaise looked at Lena incredulously and said, "I don't believe we are on a first name basis, Dumbledore."

A confused look crossed her face. Albus looked amused, she always used first names, so kind as usual.

"Will you please just get out? And take your friends with you," Lena said icily. She was visibly irritated.

The Slytherins—as Albus had taken to calling them—departed a bit unwillingly, but they did not want to face an aggravated Lena.

"Well, now that the scum has left," Rose said cheerily, "we can have some lunch!"

**Author's Note: Soo... now that you've read it, you can review! Hope you liked it and I'll update as soon as I can.**


	4. An Unexpected Attack

**Author's Note: I'm really sorry for the delay… I've been really busy! So here's the next chapter and I hope that you like it. I would really, really appreciate reviews! That would make my day even if they are criticisms, anything is accepted. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: Much to my dismay, J.K. Rowling is still the owner of Harry Potter, not me.**

**An Unexpected Attack:**

The carriage trundled up the path towards the familiar Hogwarts castle. Albus tapped his foot impatiently, he couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts and back to the classes. So far this year hadn't started off well, but he was determined to make it better and try to ignore his jealousies, though it was going to get harder with time.

He peered out the carriage window and caught sight of the castle in the distance. Turrets stretched to the sky and light radiated out of the fairy tale looking castle. He knew one of those towers was the Gryffindor tower, and he couldn't wait to see his dormitory again. But also he wanted to get to the Great Hall, where the best food in the world was kept—except, of course, his Gran's food, who was a pretty good chef herself—just waiting to be eaten.

Albus's stomach rumbled hungrily, easily the loudest thing in carriage. He couldn't wait to taste the treacle tart, which was by far the best and his father agreed strongly. Smiling, he turned to his cousin and said, "I can't wait to get up to the castle."

"Me, too," Rose agreed dreamily, probably thinking about the chocolate éclairs, which he knew were her favorite.

Scorpius burst out laughing, making Lena, Rose, and Albus jump in surprise. No one had said anything remotely funny and here was Scorpius laughing like a total maniac. Albus looked at him suspiciously and asked him, "Not to be rude or anything, Scorp, but what's so funny?"

Between fits of laughter, Scorpius managed to reply, "Oh, nothing! I just thought of something _really _funny!"

"Well, go on, tell us then," Rose said, punching him the shoulder playfully.

Just as he opened his mouth to answer the carriage halted, but they weren't even at the castle yet, Albus noticed looking out the window.

"Why have we stopped?" Rose asked worriedly.

"I dunno," Albus said. "I think there's something out there, though. I'll go check it out."

He tried to sound brave but his voice quivered slightly as he pulled out his wand and opened the door. Lena spoke up, "I'll come with you."

"No, its ok, Lena. I will go with Albus," Scorpius said quickly. Lena just raised an eyebrow and said more confidently and slightly irritated, "I've got this, Scorp."

She climbed out of the carriage, and Albus got out after her but he didn't miss the frustrated look on Scorpius's face. When he hopped out, he stood next to Lena, looking into the forest.

Something was looming just beyond the tree line but he couldn't make it out. Raising his wand, he readied himself for a fight. His father had talked about facing danger, and now Albus understood how frightening it was and greatly appreciated his father's bravery.

He shivered slightly but kept his composure, like his father said. _It might be terrifying but you have to keep a_ _calm façade, otherwise you'll end up freaking yourself out and in the end, you won't be able to cast that spell that could save your life. _That's what his father had reminded Albus and his siblings every year before they went to Hogwarts, though it hadn't been necessary until then.

Suddenly the air became cool and all the happiness seemed to disappear from the pair. Lena's eyes widened as the creatures crept out of the forest. Dementors… and about ten of them, cloaked in mysterious black cloaks that covered there supposedly creepy faces. Albus wasn't sure how they got here or even why, but he knew how to ward them off. Lena looked up at Albus a pained look on her face; her skin was paler than usual.

The Dementors suddenly caught hold of both of there minds, and Albus could see the fearful expression on Lena's face and he was sure his face mirrored it. Abruptly, she fell to the ground, fainting, Albus, panic-stricken, shouted at the top of his lungs, whilst thinking of the time he first met Lena, "_Expecto Patronum_!"

A silvery doe soared out of the tip of his wand, as beautiful as always. The doe cantered towards the Dementors without hesitation, forcing the lot to back away. Just as the doe pushed them back to the tree line a shout from Albus's left, in an oddly familiar voice, said, "_Sectumsempra_!"

The spell hit Albus before he could even register what was happening. Everything hurt on Albus's body, and the calm that had come with his silver doe vanished as another red spell hit him. A shriek that sound a lot like Rose's came from behind, making Albus feel helpless.

His body writhed in pain but he fought for consiousness as his eyes began to shut and he heard another familiar voice yell, "What are you playing at? I thought we were going to wait."

"_Hush_. The boy is still conscious," whispered a rather cold voice. Then another flash of red crossed Albus's vision and he blacked out.

…

Lena tapped her foot nervously. She sat in the Great Hall with Scorpius at her side and Rose across from her. Albus was in the hospital wing, for he had gotten hit by dark spell as well as two strong stunning spells and it would take him longer to revive. When the three had arrived at the school sorting had already finished and everyone was well into the feast.

The Hall was relaxed, so Lena knew none of them had heard of the attack otherwise it would've been tense. She could hardly eat, she was worried about Albus and she felt guilty for not helping him.

"It's my fault," Lena said sadly. "I fainted and couldn't help defend us against the dementors."

"Lena," Rose said exasperatedly, "it isn't your fault and don't you think that for a minute. Albus would kill you if he thought you were blaming yourself."

Lena nodded, knowing it was true. She recounted the night's events, hoping she would find some answers. Lena and Albus had gone out to check if there was something outside, which turned out to be Dementors. Lena passed out, while Albus cast a remarkable Patronus. Then in the carriage both Scorpius and Rose were stunned, then Albus was hit by a dark curse and two stunning spells. Professor McGonagall and a few other professors, who had heard the disturbance, found Scorpius, Rose and Lena stirring and Albus on the brink of death.

Lena shuddered. Albus had almost_ died_; she couldn't even bare the thought. Taking a deep breath, she went back to her food, which didn't seem to taste as good as usual. It was tainted with grief and guilt, and she had this nagging feeling that if she hadn't fainted she would have been able to save Albus.

"Are you okay, Lena?" Scorpius asked her, with a concerned look.

"Yes," she sighed, she wasn't in the mood for talking.

Noticing her tone, Scorpius fell silent.

Soon, the food disappeared and the golden goblets and plates were cleared. The Gryffindor table still was as cheery as ever, so still the news of Albus Potter's near death hadn't reached their ears. Most people respected Albus, since he, out of all the Harry Potter's children, was most like Harry Potter himself as well as Lily Evans, Albus's Grandmother. Though Albus thought he wasn't, everyone knew he was just being stubborn like always.

"Where's Albus?" Lily Potter asked suddenly, noting the empty seat.

She was always told she was most like her mother, Ginny Potter, and she looked a lot like her, too. She was Albus's sister, so Lena wasn't surprised that she would notice first. Awakened from reverie, Lena frowned and said, "He… umm… well, there was this accident…"

She looked at Scorpius and Rose hopefully. Rose came to the rescue by saying cautiously, "Lily, he was hit by a curse and now… now he's in the Hospital Wing."

Those who surrounded the group gasped in shock. Lily scowled and said with a voice thick with worry and sarcasm, "And no one thought to tell me, his little sister?"

"Sorry, Lils," Rose apologized.

"Oh Merlin, Mum and Dad are going to be so worried," she muttered. "Actually, Dad's going to have a bloody heart attack…oh, I've got to see him."

She got up from the Gryffindor table and ran up to the Head table, where Professor McGonagall was about to make a speech. Lena watched as Lily whispered frantically to the Professor and felt blameworthy. The professor nodded and Lily ran out of the Great Hall in full speed, unaware of the eyes following her long red hair.

The Hall erupted into a frenzy of excited murmurs, whispering gossip as it always did. Some of the most outrageous of which was when Lena heard a Ravenclaw telling another that Harry Potter had died, which was totally false in everyway.

"Merlin, Albus is going to get some attention when he gets back," Rose whispered quietly, "and he's not going to like it."

Looking up at the staff table, Lena saw Professor McGonagall step up to the front and hold her arms up to quiet the Hall. The woman wore emerald green robes, as usual, and her graying hair was pulled back into a bun. The Hall silenced at once as she cleared her throat and said, "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. As always, the Forbidden Forest is—as its name specifies—forbidden and Weasley products are banned from the school premises."

She paused, a tired and sad look passing her severe features. "I am displeased to say this year has not started off on the right foot. There has been an attack, by several Dementors and…believed to be runaway Death Eaters."

The Hall again erupted into mutters, but this time they were frightened.

"We have decided that Aurors will be placed strategically about the castle and grounds. Here at this school our hope is to bring safety to our students, but we cannot keep all of you safe if you are not wise in your decisions. So I strongly advise you not to go messing around and please, no recklessness."

"Now, with that out of the way, you may go to your dormitories. Prefects please lead first years to there correct house."

Then, the Hall was filled with noise as there was the usual mad rush to get back to their common rooms. But Lena hardly noticed the noise as she led the sleepy first years to the Gryffindor common room. She told the Fat Lady the password and made sure all the first years understood the importance of remembering it, but she wasn't paying attention to that either. She was focused on the speech McGonagall had given that night.

And as she drifted off into an uneasy sleep in her own dormitory, she couldn't help thinking about the worried look on Lily's face and the guilt that she felt when she remembered Albus's almost lifeless body.

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading and remember reviews are greatly appreciated! :) **


	5. Questions and Answers

**Author's Note: Okay, here's the next chapter, and I hope you like it. Reviews of all kinds are happily accepted. By the way, I was unsure on the ages of many of the Weasley's so I just made them up… the rest that I don't mention are not at Hogwarts anymore.**

**DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling owns it, not me.**

**Questions and Answers:**

Lena woke up the next day to the sound of birds chirping. She sat up, blinking. The dormitory was silent except for the soft breathing of the girl's Lena shared it with. Rose was in the four poster bed next to her fighting her tired eyes and running her hands—unsuccessfully—through her mane of curly red hair.

"Morning, Rose," Lena said sleepily.

Rose smiled. "Hey, Lena."

Suddenly, there was a shrill tap on the window, waking everyone in the dormitory. Alice Finnigan groaned unhappily, her sandy brown hair sticking every which way, as Lena's other roommates, Grace Longbottom and Eleanor Moon, did the same. Lena stood up and found Archimedes standing impatiently on the window ledge.

Opening the window, Lena let the bird in. Archimedes stuck out his leg, which had a small note tied to it. She quickly untied the note, praised Archimedes before letting him take off to the Owlery.

"A letter? Who is it from?" Rose asked, coming to stand next Lena.

She shrugged and unfolded the parchment, finding it written in a neat cursive that she knew could only be Professor McGonagall's. She quickly read it:

_Dear Ms. Dumbledore,_

_ I would like to speak to you, Ms. Weasley, and Mr. Malfoy this morning before lessons. I have informed your teachers that you will be absent or at least late, so you needn't worry. Come to my office after breakfast. Also will you please notify Mr. Potter's family that he has woken and would like to see you all._

_ Yours most sincerely,_

_**Professor Minerva McGonagall**_

_P.S. Mind you, I love the taste of Pumpkin Pasties._

"Pumpkin Pasties, eh? Must be the password," Rose said, reading over Lena's shoulder.

Lena nodded. "I expect she wants to talk to us about last night, right?"

"Yes, I don't think we're in trouble though, it wouldn't make sense."

Lena nodded again. Grace, who had been looking at them curiously, asked, "You were attacked last night, weren't you?"

Rose looked at Lena before answering, "Yes, we were. But thankfully, we got out of the mess with just a few stuns, while Albus, on the other hand…"

Alice's head snapped up with an odd look on her features. "What's happened to Albus?"

"He got hit by a dark curse and two stunning spells," Rose answered somberly.

Everyone in the room frowned. "Oh, poor, Al. Do you think he's okay?" Grace asked, who had been practically family to the Potter/Weasley clan.

"In the note McGonagall says he's woken up and he wants to see people, so I assume he must be at least a little better," Lena said, looking at the note again and breathing a silent sigh of relief. Half the night, she had spent worrying that in the morning she'd be informed of his death.

The conversation ended there. The girls quickly got dressed and then went down to breakfast.

In the Great Hall, the atmosphere was noticeably different. It seemed the news of the attack had made its way around the school. Several times, Lena, Rose and Scorpius were questioned by eager students, who wanted to know if the rumors were true.

One Hufflepuff fourth year asked Lena, "Did Albus Potter die and did Rose Weasley really go blind?"

Rose scowled and snapped, "Clearly, I'm not blind and you really shouldn't believe everything your told. Now, bugger off."

The fourth year scuttled away, visibly frightened.

"I don't think I can take much more of this," Rose said, rubbing her forehead as they sat at the Gryffindor table.

"Did you really get bit by a werewolf?" a second year asked Scorpius.

He rolled his eyes. "No. No, don't you have something better to do then ogle at us?"

The second year turned away and whispered excitedly with his friend. Lena glanced up at the ceiling and noted the clear skies with hope. Maybe this day wouldn't be a complete disaster.

"We have to go see McGonagall after breakfast," Rose informed Scorpius. He merely nodded, a peculiar expression on his face.

"Is Albus okay, Rose?" Lucy Weasley asked, the youngest of Percy Weasley's daughters and a third year. Dominique Weasley sat next to her, she was a seventh year along with Fred Weasley. Roxanne Weasley, who sat next to them, was in fifth year and Hugo Weasley, Rose's fourth year brother, sat across her. Lily was absent among the family. They all looked at Rose expectantly, even though she was not the oldest.

"He woke up today so I assume he'll be fine. Oh and he wants to see you. You should probably go see him after breakfast," Rose said. They all agreed.

So after breakfast the family left and Rose, Lena and Scorpius made there way to the Headmistresses office. When they reached the stone statue, Lena said to it, "Pumpkin Pasties."

The statue leapt from its place and revealed a stone staircase. Lena climbed up the staircase and felt a wave of sadness come over her. She thought of her Granddad and how countless of times he had talked of his brother and this very office. Frowning slightly, she reached the top with Scorpius and Rose at her sides. Then she knocked lightly.

A muffled voice called to them, "Come in."

Lena pushed open the door and came into an oval office. The walls were filled with previous headmasters and headmistresses and in front of her was a desk, where Professor McGonagall sat almost queenly. But behind McGonagall was a man with silvery hair, a crooked nose, and blue eyes that seemed to see right through the soul.

It was Lena's Grand Uncle, Albus Dumbledore, and as she realized this her heart raced and she stood taller. She wanted so badly to make a good impression even if the Albus Dumbledore in the room was just a portrait. He smiled kindly at her, though his eyes were sad. He could obviously see his sister in her.

"Won't you please sit?" McGonagall requested, conjuring a chair for each of them. The threesome sat awkwardly and waited for her questioning to begin.

"So would you three care to explain what happened last night? As much detail as possible please."

Lena glanced at her friend and her boyfriend. Then began to explain the horrific events, both Scorpius and Rose adding things here and there. When they were finished, McGonagall said nothing but sighed heavily. It was silent for a bit then the Professor dismissed them, "Alright, you may go. I suggest you visit Mr. Potter, I assume you're anxious to see him."

They nodded and left the headmistress's office. Lena and Rose nearly ran to the Hospital Wing, dragging Scorpius all the way. When the arrived, Madame Perks greeted them with a question, "Here to see Mr. Potter, I presume?"

"Yes, m'am," Rose answered anxiously, standing on her tip toes trying to see if Albus was in her sight. Lena copied her but even she, who was taller than Rose, could not see him.

"Alright, follow me," she said briskly. "The rest of the family has already left, but I guess you've been talking to the Headmistress, right?"

"Yes," Lena answered this time.

Madame Perks nodded and led them to Albus's bed, where he was grinning with a head bandage covering his black hair and several other bandages on the rest of his body.

"Hey, guys," he said in a happy tone, though he was hoarse.

…

Albus woke up with a headache and a bunch of other aches. He had been drifting in out of consciousness, but now he was fully awake with his green eyes alert and ready for the world. His mind might have wanted to get back to lessons but his body protested at the slightest movement. So Albus was succumbed to staying in bed, hating it all the while.

"Oh, you're awake," Madame Perks said rather happily, when she noticed his wide, open eyes. "How wonderful!"

"Oh, yes, terribly wonderful," he said dryly.

"Albus!" someone shouted next to him cheerily. He turned his head, ignoring the pain that shot up his spine, and found his little sister smiling at him. Lily's brown eyes were wide with happiness at the sight of her brother.

"Wow, Lily," Albus said a little confused, "did you sleep here?"

He nodded towards her ruffled red hair and the bags under her eyes.

"What? Oh, yeah!" then her happiness turned to irate. "Merlin's beard, Albus! You just about gave everyone a heart attack! Dad and Mum are coming today and I think the rest of the family is coming, too."

"Bloody hell, have I killed everyone by almost dying?" Albus joked.

Lily rolled her eyes and ineffectively stifled her laughter. Then she seemed to remember something and said, "James is coming, too."

Albus smiled. It would be good to see James again. He'd been gone on a "see the world" trip—as he called it—since last year with his best friend Daniel Finnigan, who was the brother of Alice Finnigan, a girl in Albus's year.

"Here's your breakfast and a potion for the aches," Madame Perks said as she gave Albus tray full of everything and more and a bottle of strangely colored liquid.

Looking at the food, Albus realized he was starving. He drained the odd potion then he quickly devoured two pieces of toast, an egg or two, three links of sausage, and a tall goblet of pumpkin juice.

"You want some, Lils?" he offered the rest to his sister. She gratefully accepted and quickly made the rest of the tray full of food disappear.

"Merlin, Lily, when did you gain such an appetite?" Albus asked her incredulously. She just grinned triumphantly.

The morning went on and at half past ten his family arrived. As usual there were warm greetings and happy comments. And, of course, they questioned him on what happened on the carriage and a hundred other questions.

Albus answered them politely, but after awhile he got a huge migraine and Madame Perks came to the rescue. She shooed them out, making them go back to there lessons and let Albus rest. He was grateful and slept for a full fifteen minutes before he heard _her_ voice. _Lena._

His eyes fluttered opened as he saw Lena, Rose, and Scorpius approaching his bed. He smiled in spite of his pounding head and said in a cheery yet somehow gruff voice, "Hey, guys."

"Albus!" Rose ran to his side, beaming. "You gave us a scare, Al."

Lena came and sat in the chair on his other side, giving him an apprehensive look, while Scorpius stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder. His anger flared but he fought it back and kept a smile on his face.

"Well, I'm glad. If you'd been happy to see me nearly die then we'd have a bit of a problem, wouldn't we?"

Lena's face split into a smile at that. Albus grinned, glad to see her smiling. Rose just rolled her eye, chuckling softly. Scorpius was chuckling as well, obviously happy to see his friend was okay.

"I'm sorry, Al, for last night," Lena said suddenly, she had a sad and guilty expression on her face. "I should've—"

Albus grimaced. "Don't you dare blame yourself, Madalena Dumbledore, or I will personally murder you."

"Told you he'd kill you if you thought it was your fault," Rose said with a smug smirk.

Albus smiled. "You know me so well, cousin."

"So what happened after… you know, we were stunned?" Rose asked tentatively, turning the subject around.

Albus thought for a moment then said, "I cast a Patronus charm, but then I was hit by that _Sectumsempra_ curse. Merlin, was that painful! Anyway, after that I heard someone say in a slightly familiar voice, '_What are you playing at? I thought we were going to wait' _then this other voice that was as cold as ice said, _'Hush, the boy is still conscious'_. It was really creepy, but I'm wondering what the two said afterwards. I mean, then we would know why they attacked us… They went through an awful lot of trouble to make us go unconscious, yet they left us there. It doesn't make any sense."

Rose shook her head with a puzzled look on her face. Scorpius had gone completely white while Lena looked just as perplexed as Rose.

Awhile later, when they still hadn't thought of why they had been attacked, though they thought of many possibilities, Madame Perks kicked Lena, Rose, and Scorpisus out, telling them to get back to lessons already. That left Albus alone, so with nothing left to do he drifted off into a thoughtful sleep.

**Author's Note: Hope you liked it! And again, reviews of all types are welcomed and accepted. **


	6. Something to Think About

**A/N: Here is the next chapter. As always reviews are necessary and incredibly helpful! This is from Lena's POV, so… enjoy and review! **

**DISCLAIMER: It's all J.K. Rowling.**

**Something to Think About:**

"I suppose Albus is staying in the Hospital Wing until Saturday, right?" Scorpius asked Rose, one morning at breakfast.

"Yes, he's actually itching to get out of there sooner," Rose replied matter-of-factly, "but Madame Perks won't let him."

"Poor, Al. First week of term and already he'll be behind," Lena said sadly, mutilating her eggs.

"Nah. I'm taking him his homework to him, much to his dismay," Rose said with a mischievous grin. "He was none to happy when I brought him the Potions essay last night."

"I'm sure he wasn't. He hates that class more than Divination," Scorpius said, rolling his eyes.

The three laughed as Lily Potter joined them with an excited grin on her face. She sat silently and Lena wouldn't have noticed except it seemed she was about to burst out of enthusiasm.

"Umm… Lily, is there something you want to tell us?" Lena asked, glancing at Lily's useless attempts to suppress a grin.

Rose and Scorpius turned their attention on Lily as well. "What is it your so excited about, Lils?" Rose asked suspiciously.

No longer caring about her inconspicuous expression efforts, she let her face slip into a huge grin.

"Come on. Don't leave us hanging!" Rose urged.

"Albus is getting out tomorrow and he's holding Quidditch tryouts on Saturday! Also yesterday Dad brought him a birthday present, which I know is early, but Dad wanted to give it to him in person. And guess what is was? It was a Firebolt 360! It's one of the newest in the Quidditch world!" Lily hardly breathed through her speech and let out content sigh at the end.

They all grinned. "Are you serious? Madame Perks is going to let Al out?" Scorpius asked incredulously, he knew how set in stone Madame Perks' decisions usually were.

"Yep! Are you going out for Quidditch again this year?" Lily asked conversationally.

Lena smiled, remembering last year and winning, yet again, the Quidditch Cup. Of course, Lena wasn't a Quidditch player. No, she wasn't that type nor was Rose. They competed in another way… for top in there year, though they always seemed to end up tied. Anyway, Scorpius, Lily, and Daniel Finnigan had made the best Chaser lineup in awhile and they were so lucky to have Albus as the Seeker. Lena recollected the final game against Ravenclaw last year and grinned, it had been a very riveting game.

"Well, I couldn't say no with the way we played last year. Once again I must say we were amazing!" Scorpius answered.

Lily beamed then nodded in farewell, leaving to find her own friends.

…

The rest of the day went without much excitement. It had been really quite boring, as the first few days of term always were. By the time Lena had gotten to dinner with Rose at her side Scorpius was already eating. He wasn't in Ancient Runes along with Lena and Rose.

The duo sat with Lena next to Scorpius and Rose across from them. It was quiet some time before Scorpius declared, "I'm going to see Al today, want to come?"

"Definitely," Rose and Lena agreed at the same time.

Scorpius smirked. "So how was Ancient Runes?"

"Fine," Rose said, huffing.

"Mm… boring, then?" Scorpius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Basically," Rose responded.

They chuckled softly before finishing up there dinner. Then the trio went to the Hospital Wing to find Albus eating his own dinner.

"Oh, hey!" Albus greeted them, digging into his dinner.

"Hello, Al," Lena said, smiling. "How are you feeling?"

"Spectacular! You probably heard I'm getting out tomorrow, right?"

"Yes! And then tryouts on Saturday? You really can't take it easy," Rose said, lightly tapping her cousin's shoulder.

Albus grinned widely. "No, of course not, Rose." He paused, changing his tone to false stern. "Scorpius, I had better see you there, otherwise we have no chance this year."

Scorpius nodded. "Of course, mate. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"You better not because remember last year…" Albus went into a detailed reminiscence of a match last year. Scorpius added bits and laughed with Albus along with telling his own tales. Scorpius even asked him about the new broom, Albus showed it to him, but Lena couldn't tell what was so special about. Rose had the same puzzled expression that imitated the one on Lena's face.

Fifteen minutes of Quidditch talk later both Rose and Lena were getting impatient. They locked eyes across Albus's bed, wearing the same bored and restless expression. Rose sighed and said sardonically, "As much as I _love_ Quidditch, could we please talk about something else?"

The boys rolled there eyes but changed the subject anyway.

"So how are classes? Boring, I assume, considering it's only the first week of term?" Albus asked.

"Yes, but I hope it gets better. I mean, we _are_ sixth years," Scorpius replied, scowling slightly.

"Yeah, it is a bit dull… History of Magic was torture, then again isn't it always?" Lena said, shaking her head.

Everyone nodded in agreement. The subject itself wasn't particularly dreary, actually it was quite interesting at least that's what Lena thought, but the teacher, Professor Binns, was the most wearisome teacher in the whole school.

"I'm glad I dropped the subject this year," Albus said with a grin.

"At least you don't _need _to take it," Rose complained. "It's completely dreadful."

"I second that," Lena concurred.

An hour or so later, Madame Perks dispelled the three. It was nearly nine o'clock before they got back to the common room from the library and Hospital Wing. Exhausted, Lena and Rose said goodnight to Scorpius. He actually kissed her on the cheek, making her flush once again, but also her heart fluttered. Rose just scowled at them and climbed the stairs to the girls dormitories. Lena followed her and clutched Rose's arm. Lena asked, "Are you okay? You…"

Lena trailed off not knowing what else to say.

"I'm fine, thanks," Rose answered a bit sharply. "Just wish you would see clearly."

Lena blinked confusedly. "Do you like Scorpius, too?"

"No," she said honestly, "that's not what I'm talking about. Open up your eyes, Lena."

Then for the second time that day Rose stalked off, leaving Lena with a lot to think about.

**A/N: Review, please!**


	7. A Secret to Keep

**A/N: Here's the next chapter… and remember to please review and enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I still do not own Harry Potter, it is wholly and truly J.K. Rowling's.**

**A Secret to Keep:**

Albus got out of the Hospital Wing early the next morning, and it was a relief, too. Madame Perks was a complete nightmare when it came to motherly instincts, but she thankfully let him go regardless of what she thought since his dad had said it was okay. Sometimes it paid off to have a famous dad.

Albus just about sprinted to the Great Hall, where he came to sit in his usual spot next to Rose and across from Scorpius and Lena.

"Al! You're out," Rose exclaimed.

"I told you that I was getting out today, yesterday," Albus said, looking at his cousin incredulously.

"Of course, I know! But I didn't expect you to get out so early."

"I convinced Madame Perks to let me out in the morning so I could attend lessons. Thank Merlin, too. She was getting on my nerves with all of her protectiveness."

Rose chuckled then began to eat. The foursome quickly devoured their breakfast then scurried off to Defense Against the Dark Arts, where Professor Teddy Lupin was readying himself for class. His hair a spring green, he had inherited his mother's talent, so Albus could never be sure what color the Professor's hair would be each day.

"Albus Potter! You're out of the hospital," Professor Lupin beamed.

"Yes, Teddy," Albus answered, smiling widely, too.

"That's Professor Lupin to you," he said sternly but he gave Albus a wink. "I'd like to see you after class."

Albus gaped; he never got in trouble with Teddy. Not even the troublemaker, James, had gotten in trouble with him.

"Don't worry, Al. I just want to catch up."

Albus nodded then took a seat with Lena, Scorpius, and Rose. The rest of the class came in lazily, each one taking their own seats. That day they had Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Ravenclaws, which was fine with Albus. They were far from better than the Slytherins.

"Alright, class, today," Professor Lupin began, "we will be working on Patronus Charm. Okay everyone turn to…"

He quickly taught everyone the theory behind the Patronus, but Albus didn't pay attention. He didn't need to, he could already cast one, and so he just peered out the window, day-dreaming of the Quidditch Tryouts he would be holding that Saturday. Rose poked him a few times, trying to tell him he should pay attention. But Albus just rolled his eyes and waited for her to win Gryffindor another five more points like always.

A half an hour past, they were going to practice the Patronuses then. "Alright, everyone the incantation is _Expecto Patronum_, and remember, focus as hard as you can on the happiest memory you can think of. Don't let go of it… and on three we try, okay?"

The class gave a shared moan of agreement. The Professor smiled and said, "I'll need more enthusiasm than that weak groan. Come on, is that okay?"

This time everyone yelled an excited _yes_ before quieting and letting the Professor start to count. "One… Two… Three… _Go_!"

There was a rush of the words _Expecto Patronum_ around the room, but few got anything to come out of their wands. Lena, Rose, and a few others got strong wisps of silvery substance to come out but none got a real corpeal Patronus. Albus, however, whispered the odd sounding incantation and a silvery doe burst from the tip of his wand. The class became silent immediately, staring at the beautiful doe as it cantered around the room.

Professor Lupin pushed his way through the class to where Albus stood in the middle of the classroom. Teddy's hair had turned a bright yellow, as if it, too, was awed by the boy with green eyes and messy black hair.

"That's amazing, Albus," Professor Lupin cried out in excitement. "Your father would be proud… is this your first time doing it?"

"No," Albus answered, trying to sound nonchalant. "My dad taught me the theory or whatever and when I was at school I just wanted to experiment so I tried. I practiced for awhile, but it didn't take long to master. I think it was in my fourth year that I could cast a corpeal one."

Professor Lupin beamed. "Ten points to Gryffindor for an extraordinary Patronus."

…

The rest of the class went by without much excitement and then finally Defense Against of the Dark Arts was finished. Albus stayed behind, telling his friends that he would meet them in Herbology. They left, then he went to Professor Lupin's desk and looked at the teacher expectantly.

"That was a fantastic Patronus," he said to begin with. "I don't know why I'm surprised, considering Harry's always been good at that spell."

"Yeah, Dad's got a knack for that one. Anyway what did you want to talk about?"

"I was just wondering what happened Saturday? McGonagall told the teachers, but I was just wondering if you had something else to add."

Albus scowled. Of course, Teddy would want to know what happened. Albus was getting to be really thick lately. "I'll tell you about it, but you've got to tell me something in return."

Teddy smirked and said, laughing, "You play well, mate. Okay, I'll tell you something."

So Albus told him all that he could remember from that night, though it wasn't much. Afterward, Teddy's usually happy and joking expression had disappeared and was replaced with a grimace.

"Tricky business," he said finally. "I bet Harry was none to happy to hear about the Death Eater."

"Nope," Albus confirmed, wrinkling his nose at the horrified expression his father had tried to hide.

Teddy shook his head then smiled slightly. "Now for my news, but you have to promise to keep it a secret."

"Of course, Ted."

"So I…" Teddy looked a bit nervous. "I'm going to ask Victoire to marry me on Christmas!"

Albus grinned. "Merlin, have you told anyone else?"

"Well, I talked to your Uncle Bill but that's it. I doubt he would tell anyone."

"What did Uncle Bill say?"

"He was happy, of course. He thought I was quote 'the best man for the job' unquote."

Albus smiled. His Uncle Bill was right, Teddy and Victoire were made for each other. He remembered the first time he had rid on the Hogwarts Express when his brother had said that he saw the two snogging. Ever since then they'd been basically joined at the hip, except for that summer two years ago when they'd separated for a whole summer. It had been kind of awkward, but they were back together by the time everyone was going back to Hogwarts.

"It's about time," Albus told Teddy. "Anyway I better go; Professor Longbottom won't like it if I'm too late."

"Alright, see you, kid," Teddy ruffled his hair, winked, and sat back down at his desk. Albus waved to the Professor and then sprinted out to the corridor, making his way to Herbology.

Albus thought of Victoire and Teddy and felt happy for them. He hoped one day he could find his other half… though he was sure he already had.

**A/N: Aww! Reviews would be lovely! By the way I wasn't sure how to spell corpeal or if that's even the right word for it… so I'm terribly sorry. Anyway I'll update soon!**


	8. Quidditch Tryouts

**A/N: I just got to say I'm **_**really **_**sorry about the delay. I've just got back from a vacation California, then my house's internet was down, and I had a bad case of writer's block, so I'm sorry about that. Anyway here is the next chapter! Oh and to anyone who is confused Scorpius and Lena are together and Scorpius is indeed in Gryffindor. Review, please!**

**DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling owns this, not me.**

**Quidditch Tryouts:**

The week went by without a hitch and it was Saturday in no time. Albus awoke early morning, nerves flowing through his veins. He was anxious about the Tryouts that day. He was uncertain about what he should do and how strict or easy going he should be, and he hoped he would choose the right players.

"It's okay," Scorpius said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "You'll be amazing, mate."

"Sure, sure," Albus said distractedly. He jumped out of his bed and dressed in his robes while Scorpius did the same. Five minutes later they were ready and went down the stairs, where both Lena and Rose were waiting.

"… Professor McGonagall seemed really angry. I wonder what she could possibly have said or done," Rose was saying when they reached the duo.

"Yeah. She's never really been the kind of person to do anything bad," Lena replied, pursing her lips.

"Who? What happened?" Scorpius asked. The girls didn't seem to realize that they had joined and jumped at Scorpius's voice.

"Oi! I didn't see you there!" Rose exclaimed, her eyes fluttering and her hand clutching at her heart. It seemed overdramatic, but then again Albus's cousin could be overdramatic at times.

"Just tell us what happened," Albus said.

"Well," Lena began nervously, "apparently Professor McGonagall caught Eleanor Moon doing something. The Professor came in early this morning and took her away; she looked livid. Eleanor was always quiet and didn't talk much… but she didn't seem the type to get into trouble."

Scorpius had turned white, Albus noticed, but he wasn't sure why. Albus was positive Scorpius had never spoken to this Eleanor Moon; he himself wasn't even sure who she was.

"Are you okay, Scorp?" Albus inquired, peering at his friend with a raised eyebrow.

"Peachy," he answered sharply then he shook his head and smiled slightly. "That's odd, isn't it? You're right she didn't seem the type to do anything bad."

"You know her?" Albus asked. Everyone gawked at him dubiously. "What? Do I have something in my teeth?"

Albus began to run his fingers on his shiny, white teeth, searching for a morsel of dinner from last night. Rose grabbed his hand and pulled it down, laughing and saying, "No, Al! We're just surprised you don't know her, considering she is in our year."

"She is?" Now Albus was even more confused than before.

Lena rolled her eyes and said, "Yes. Come on, let's go have breakfast!"

They left the common room and then went to the Great Hall. They sat and ate in silence; Albus didn't know what the others were thinking but he was thinking about the tryouts that would occur in, he glanced at his watch, a little less than two hours.

"Hey, Albus," Lily plopped down beside him with a delighted grin. "So what are we going to do today at tryouts?"

He would've like to say, "Your guess is as good as mine" but instead he said as mysteriously as he could, "You'll have to see won't you, Lils!"

Lily rolled her eyes and waved a hand of farewell then went to sit with her own friends.

"So what _are _you going to do?" Scorpius asked, shoveling a bite of omelet into his mouth.

"No idea," Albus answered, which was slightly true.

"Blimey! Are you serious?"

"Nah. I have a general idea," Albus responded somewhat defensively. Rose suddenly stood up and said, "I have to go to the library."

Still with her fork in her hand, Rose sprinted out of the great hall, mane of curly hair swirling behind her. Albus just stared after her, baffled at her sudden outburst. He made a note to ask her later then went to back to his breakfast as if nothing had happened. Rose often had strange sudden burst of thoughts, and Albus was used to it and really had nothing to stress over. Scorpius and Lena, however, still gazed at the spot where his cousin had left.

"Don't worry, guys," Albus told them. "This is Rose, she probably just thought of something she hasn't read yet."

"True," Lena said, smiling. "I'm going to see what she's looking up."

She left just as quickly, leaving Scorpius and Albus glancing at eachother with the same quizzical expression. Albus shrugged and began again inhaling a rather large breakfast.

After the pair had finished, they decided to head out to the Quidditch pitch. They stalked out of Great Hall and then pushed through the front door. Through the door the sun was rising brilliantly in the east, making the lake glisten in the distance. Albus was sure he could make out the giant squid swimming around the lake; he grinned. It was a perfect day for Quidditch. Well, actually, it was a perfect day for anything. No fluffy white clouds could be seen in the sky and the air was warm with a slight soft wind coming from the north.

"This is brilliant!" Scorpius exclaimed excitedly.

"Definitely," Albus agreed, a grin tugging up his lips. They trudged down the gleaming green grass to the pitch, where they went into the changing rooms. Quickly both of them changed out of their school robes and into a set of scarlet Quidditch robes.

"Suppose we're kinda early," Albus said, checking his watch again.

Scorpius nodded. "I suppose. Well, let's go fly anyway."

"Okay!"

They departed the changing rooms, clutching their brooms as if they were a lifeline. Albus glanced at his new broom, the silver letters of _Firebolt 360_ were etched into the side of the handle. It was a magnificent broom, better than any other on the market, from it's flawlessly smooth handle to it's impeccably clipped tail.

"Let's fly!" Albus said, mounting his broom expertly and then taking off with the highest of speeds. "WHHOOOAA!"

Wind rustled through his already seemingly wind-blown hair and it took all his strength to hold onto the speeding broom. He nearly flew off the thing, but Albus was determined to stay put even though it got increasingly harder.

"Blimey!" Albus heard Scorpius shout in surprise. Not wanting to look like an utter fool, Albus slowed to an easier pace, where he could actually see clearly.

"Merlin! That's incredible!" Albus cried out animatedly.

"Must be… Now I'm envious," Scorpius said from a broom hanging in the air a few feet away from Albus. He laughed then he went to land.

People began to arrive ten minutes or so later, brooms in hand and ready to fly. Some more than others. When everyone had gathered in the middle of the pitch Albus cleared his throat. The crowd hushed at once, looking at him with expectantly. For a moment Albus was paralyzed, unsure on what to say.

Taking a deep breath, he began, "Good morning, everyone! Um… so I want to start with a few simple drills for the chasers then we'll work our way through beaters and then ending with keepers. Okay?"

Everyone gave a mumble of agreement. "Alright, chasers up in the air!"

There was a mad rush to the sky and immediately Albus knew it was going to be a long day.

Indeed it was. Half of the chasers turned out to be dunces who were incapable of flying straight on a broom let alone pass the Quaffle in midair, then some of the beaters were complete weaklings, who could barely hold the bat. By the time for the keepers were up in the air, Albus was in desperate need of a break, but he just took a deep breath and kept up his work.

The keeper position turned out to be an easy choice. Hugo Weasley, his younger cousin, was a natural at saving goals and caught all the tough ones the chasers threw at him. Thanking the heavens, Albus landed and waited for the rest to crowd around him. When everyone was present, he told them, "Okay… er, good work today. I'll post the results on the common room board tomorrow morning. So, er… dismissed!"

The crowd dispersed, talking hopefully about the tryouts. Many of them would not get on the team but that didn't ruin their high spirits as they practically waltzed back to the castle.

Albus took a deep breath, closing his eyes and rubbing his hands over his face.

"Hey, Potter!" someone said from behind him. From the condescending tone Albus knew whoever it was he was in no mood to talk to the cocky boy. But, despite himself, he turned and came face to face with none other than all arrogant Cormac Mclaggen… Junior.

"Yes, Mclaggen?" Albus asked grumpily.

"Did pretty good today, didn't I?" he said with a smug and conceited smirk.

"Sure…" Albus muttered untruthfully.

"Well, I sure hope my name's on that list tomorrow."

Albus narrowed his eyes, glaring at him. "Hope isn't what you need, Mclaggen."

Then he started to stalk off except Mclaggen caught his arm and twisted him around. "What do you mean, Potter?"

"I mean, Mclaggen, you should think twice about grabbing at the _Captain_ of the Quidditch team," Albus replied icily.

The larger boy, Mclaggen, let go of Albus, glared at him, and then he stomped off angrily. Albus watched him go, frowning.

"That git isn't going to make the team, right?" Scorpius asked, coming up behind him, staring after Mclaggen as well.

"As long as I'm Captain, he has no chance."

**A/N: Review, please!**


	9. Eleanor Moon

**A/N: Here it it! Review, please. Sorry about the delay, by the way. I've been busy!**

**DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling still owns Harry Potter, not me.**

**Eleanor Moon:**

Lena and Rose left the library just before dinner on Saturday night. They had been researching things all day, and both their heads were pounding with information. Lena was sure the boys, Scorpius and Albus, were aching in a whole different way. Physically instead of mentally.

"I'm hungry," Rose complained as they turned a corner. Lena smiled. Rose may have her mother's brain but she also had her father's appetite.

"What are you smiling at, Lena?"

"Nothing, nothing," she said, grinning.

"I wonder what will be there…" Rose said, practically drooling over her robes. "I hope it is something tasty today. Something warm… Like soup."

Lena laughed. "I could go for soup, too."

Both the girls wore a longing expression, they hadn't eaten all day. Well, except for breakfast, of course, but still Lena could have eaten a whole pot of soup.

They turned another corner, but suddenly Lena stopped. She opened the bag that hung from her shoulder and began rummaging inside. "Oh, I forgot my book at the library!"

Rose frowned, clutching her stomach miserably. She undoubtedly hated the idea of running all the way back to the library and then running back to the Great Hall even if it was for a book.

"Shall we go and get it then?" Rose asked, ineffectively hiding her sour mood.

Lena quickly shook her head and said, smiling, "No, you go enjoy dinner. I'll meet you there in a bit!"

She turned on her heel and marched as quickly as she could back to the library. A few halls away from the library, she heard voices, echoing off the stone walls. But they weren't your regular voices, they were guarded and hushed. They were voices that didn't want to be heard. Lena was curious, so she stealthily crept through the hall, straining her ears to hear what was being said.

"…stupid. Why did we even trust that _stupid _girl?" someone hissed angrily, who sounded a bit big-mouthed.

"Trust wasn't the problem. If it wasn't for McGonagall, Eleanor Moon wouldn't have even got caught," another, reasonable sounding, voice whispered. _Eleanor Moon? _Lena blinked in confusion. What could she have possibly done for these boys? She hadn't seemed the type to hand out favors.

"I _still _think we shouldn't have trusted Moon. I mean, I think it's just absurd as trusting M—"

"Oh shut up!" a third voice cut off the big-mouth. "Moon was obviously incompetent therefore we must find another someone to do the job. The plan won't be foiled this easily, Potter doesn't deserve that."

Lena shivered involuntarily. _Not Albus…_

The three voices were achingly familiar, but Lena could not remember the faces to whom the voices belonged to. For all she knew, they could be anything from paintings talking to each other—though she doubted it—to conspiring students or teachers.

"Who do you suggest?" the reasonable voice asked doubtfully.

"I don't know," the third voice, who was clearly the leader of the group, said thoughtfully. "But we have to find someone soon. _He _isn't very patient," there was a pause, then the leader said jeeringly, "Wee Potter's life is in our hands now boys."

"Don't forget his friends, too," the big-mouthed one scoffed.

Suddenly she heard the group walking away there voices no longer audible, though she thought she heard a few snide chuckles. Lena leant on the cold stone wall, peering around the corner. She looked just in time to see three pairs of swirling black cloaks turn and disappear into another corridor. By this time Lena was drenched cold sweat and her tongue was drier than the desert.

"Oh Merlin…" Lena whispered, still gazing at the now empty corridor. Forgetting entirely about her lone book in the library, she twisted around and sprinted towards the Great Hall.

…

Albus, Scorpius, and Rose were all enjoying large bowls of soup when Lena came sprinting into the hall with a carefully guarded expression. Albus watched as the blond maneuvered through the other tables to the Gryffindor table and plopped down into her seat next to Albus. Her expression seemed blank, bored even, but her eyes betrayed her. Albus set down his spoon.

"Lena, is there something wrong?" he asked only loud enough for his three friends to hear. At the solemnity of Albus's voice, Scorpius's and Rose's backs straightened, nonchalantly craning their heads towards Albus and Lena.

For a split second Lena's empty face turned to panic-stricken and back again. "I… overheard an interesting conversation," was all she said.

"What do you mean?" Albus asked suspiciously. What she meant by an interesting conversation escaped him completely.

"I mean," then she explained in a frantic whisper about her eavesdropping encounter. When she was finished the foursome had gone white. Suddenly Albus could sympathize with his father. Harry Potter had had plenty of death threats in his life time, still did from what Albus heard of his father's work.

"Do you know who said these things?" Rose asked shakily. She, like the rest of them, wasn't particularly partial to getting death threats.

Lena shook her head. "No. They just sounded familiar that's all. It could be anyone."

Albus pursed his lips, something he usually only saw his Great Aunt Petunia do. He had an abrupt thought. "What if it was Blaise and his band of Slytherins? They certainly have a motive. There parents are Death Eaters, so they could want revenge."

Rose nodded. "That does make sense, but… who is this _He_? Do you think…?"

Everyone shuddered, knowing what she meant to say. Lord Voldemort couldn't possibly be still alive, could he? It was an absurd thought.

"No, no. Lord Voldemort is dead," Albus said quickly. "Dad can vouch for that."

They nodded.

"Then who is it?" Lena asked.

"Could just be an avenging Death Eater?" Albus offered. Again they nodded and then lapsed into a thoughtful silence.

"What about Eleanor Moon? What did she do? And how was she connected to the plan?" Rose thought aloud after a time. They were good questions, but none of the four friends could answer definitely.

"I dunno, Rose, I dunno," Albus told her truthfully, shaking his head slowly.

Dinner progressed quickly, the Hall still filled with the usual loud banter of the children and teachers, but Albus, nor his friends, could join into the routine. Albus didn't touch his soup the rest of the evening; he had others things on his mind. Eleanor Moon to be exact. How was she, a girl who he had just realized was in his year, connected to the Slytherins? What sort of job did she fail to do? Why was she caught? Hundreds of questions filled his mind, but only one stuck out the most. Only one made him the most uneasy.

How come it was Eleanor Moon, a fellow Gryffindor and sixth year, who was part of the planning of his death? And _why _did she agree to do it?

**A/N: Well, hope you enjoyed it! Thanks and please, review! **


	10. Malfoy's Tale

**A/N: All I have for an excuse is school and stress, so I'm sorry for my latest. And now let the story continue!**

**Malfoy's Tale:**

Ginny sat in the living room, ringing her hands together. Harry stood in the doorway staring at his wife, a wild look of astonished on his face. Draco Malfoy stood in the small room, looking just as nervous as the Potter's. It was a homey room with tattered couches inherited from the Burrow with moving pictures of just about every Weasely on the planet.

"So…" Harry looked at Malfoy, his eyebrows drawn together in suspicion.

"So they are talking, again," Malfoy said diplomatically though he was obviously uncomfortable. He touched his sleek blond hair nervously. Ginny's face twisted into a scowl much like the one Mrs. Weasley wore.

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked skeptically.

Malfoy folded his arms, frustration filling his features. "Yes, I'm sure. For Merlin's sake, I was at the meeting. They're planning something."

Harry walked over to Malfoy, his shoes tapping on the hardwood floor. Adjusting his glasses, he said sharply, "Malfoy, nearly thirty years ago you tried to kill me, now I know it's a long time to hold a grudge, but this is the first time _I _have heard from you since then. Just give me one reason to trust you, one reason that will make me believe that _you—_of all people—would help us."

Malfoy stared at Harry and then in a whisper, one that Ginny had to lean in to hear, he said, "I'm sorry. I was complete and utter git back then. And it's taken me nearly thirty years to figure that out, and I really don't expect you to trust me with the way I've acted… but you have to listen, because… they're planning something about your son, Albus."

It was silent for a moment.

Then a deeply accusing "_What?_" erupted from Ginny. She was seething as she stomped up to Malfoy, pulling her wand out of her pocket.

"Whoa, there, Ginny," Harry took her wand away before she could hex anything.

"_Give it back, Harry Potter!"_ Ginny snapped, turning to Harry then back to Malfoy. "You say they're planning something about _my_ son, huh? Not him, not in a million years, I'll hex they're _arses' _off before they touch any of _my _children."

Malfoy looked panic-stricken as he looked into the face of the wildly angry Ginny. Her face was red, eyes flaming and mouth set stubbornly. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Potter… I-I didn't mean to…"

"Ginny," Harry said, taking his wife's shoulder. "Ginny."

"What?" she turned to her husband, ready to snarl, but then she saw his face. Harry Potter's face had gone completely white and his eyes were wide with terror just as they had been the night Albus had been attacked.

"Harry, are you…?" she began to ask, her voice soft and gentle now.

The man shook his head, black hair parting to reveal the lightening bolt scar. "M-my son. Oh bloody… It's my entire fault."

"No, Harry," Ginny soothed, but Harry didn't seem to hear her. He ran his hands through his hair, practically gnawing on his bottom lip.

"Now look what you've done?" Ginny growled at Malfoy, stepping closer to him with glaring eyes.

"No," Harry told her. He looked at Malfoy with pleading green eyes. "Tell me you're not a part of this Malfoy. Tell me you've learned your lesson."

For a moment, the two grown men stared at each other, coming to some understanding.

"I'm not as foolish as I used to be," Malfoy said simply.

Harry nodded, biting his nails, trying to conceal the tears in his eyes. "I've been through way too much in my life… and my son doesn't deserve the same life."

"I understand," Malfoy agreed. "I'll keep you posted on the meetings."

Then the old enemy departed the room, a moment later they could hear the door slam behind the man. Then silence.

"Harry," Ginny said quietly, "Harry, do you think we can trust him?"

Harry Potter turned to his wife, blinking, and said, "Trust… Dumbledore trusted Snape, so… yes; yes I think we can trust him."

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading and putting up with my extreme lateness!**


	11. The Stinging Kiss

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy and review! Oh by the way, some time has passed since the last chapter.**

**The Stinging Kiss:**

Albus brushed off the dirt that soaked his Quidditch robes, watching his team brush it off, too. The changing room was filled with the scent of determination and sweat, a scent Albus had become very accustomed to.

"I'm going to kill you, Albus," Lily snapped as she pulled off her boots and let mud slop onto the ground. She glared at her brother with utmost intensity. Obviously practice in the pouring rain wasn't part of her ideal Saturday.

"Lily, darling," Albus drawled, "you couldn't take me."

She slapped him on the arm. "Oh, please."

He laughed, throwing a bit of mud on her robes. "Gotcha!"

Then with that, he ran from the room, dodging the mud his sister hurled at him. Her laughs echoed after him as he scurried into the October, cats-and-dogs rain.

"There you are," Rose said, irritated. From one aggravated girl to another, Albus thought with a roll of his eyes. "Come on, you fool."

She seized his arm and towed him through the rain with fingers of iron and a growling stomach that matched his own.

The rain made the trip back to the castle nearly impossible to see, and nearly impossible to accomplish. Their feet slipped at every mud puddle, the brownish liquid sticking to their boots and the hems of their robes.

"This weather is the worst," Rose shouted over the waterfall rain. "I can't see how you can practice in this!"

Albus grinned at his cousin. "You wouldn't know, Rose; you're no Quidditch player."

She gave him a look that made the smile on Albus's face falter before entering the castle. Warmth and dry air greeted them within the towering walls of the Entrance hall. They quickly shook off the excess mud of their clothing and shoes, and Rose performed a charm to dry off their robes.

"Thanks, Rose," he said gratefully, hugging his newly warmed robes to his body. He did a small spin on his heel, smiling broadly at his cousin, who just stared with bored eyes.

"Don't expect me to do it again anytime soon," Rose growled, tucking her mahogany wand away. Then she swept her robes like a cape—rather dramatically, Albus thought—and headed for the rumbling Great Hall without a backward glance.

Albus headed in the same direction but kept distance between him and his moody cousin. The wizard may be a bit thick at times but he wasn't dumb—or at least _he_ thought so—enough to crawl into the lion's den, and besides, he wasn't partial to getting his head bitten off.

…

"I'm serious, Albus," Rose snapped. "Next time you have a Quidditch match, I am _not_ coming to watch you."

"Please, you didn't _have _to come outside and wait for me. I mean, you could've just waited in the Entrance Hall," Albus countered, rendering a red-faced Rose Weasley speechless. Her lip curled; Rose really didn't like losing an argument, especially one with her cousin.

"I was _trying_ to be nice! The least you could do is say thankyou!"

"I did, Rose Weasley," Albus huffed, throwing his hands in the air in defeat. The two walked down a hall towards the Gryffindor common room, their feet echoing throughout the stony surfaces.

Rose shot him glare, and in return, acquired one from the green-eyed boy. "You're impossible," he cried, taking longer strides, not waiting for his cousin to catch up.

Rose continued her slow stroll, watching as Albus's feet stomped ahead, frustrated. She had officially accomplished the art of getting under her cousin's skin; right then, she was proud of this fact, usually the boy was unfazed.

Soon, they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, speaking the password ("Treacle Tart"), and they were permitted into the golden-and-red common room that was the Gryffindor Tower. Rose, having tumbled many times through the portrait hole, focused on her steps as she entered into the friendly smells and sounds.

That was her mistake because, a moment later, Albus stopped abruptly as if he were a wind up toy that had run out of power, sending an already cross Rose into his robed back. Anger flared within her and she was about to shout into his ears—she hoped he would go deaf—but then she saw what Albus saw. And what Rose gawked at deflated the anger and the annoyance, for what she saw was none other than Scorpius and Lena with lips locked in a gentle kiss. They stood off to the side, near the glowing embers of the fireplace, going unnoticed by every Gryffindor save the two cousins.

"Albus," Rose started, grabbing at his arm. "Albus, I—"

Her cousin cut her off, turning to face her with a ghostly white face. He spoke harshly, "Just shush, Rose."

With that, he pushed past her, gently removing her arm from his own, leaving the way he had entered. She glanced back at the couple once more before chasing after her cousin, knowing he was in need of comforting. Cursing as she went, Rose hastened out of the common room and into the vacant corridor. Albus could be fast when he wanted to be.

Once out, the girl didn't waste any time walking but sprinted straight off, following the fresh mud prints left behind by her cousin.

"Hey, young girl, stop running the corridor!" the portraits scolded as she raced past. Ignoring their frantic cries entirely, she focused on the slowly drying prints and the small shadow ahead that was Albus Potter.

"Albus!" Rose called to him once, but she knew the efforts were fruitless. She had to catch him to talk to him.

The chase continued until Rose reached the Entrance Hall, where the prints seemed to vanish. Standing in the middle of the vacuous Hall, feeling incredibly foolish, she scanned the room, desperately searching for clues. Then she noticed the door that led to the grounds; it was opened just a crack.

With hope, Rose sauntered over to the door and peeked out into the roaring rain, her hands trembling from a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. She gasped as she spotted one dark haired, terribly tall Albus, standing on the stairs, shoulders sagging in a dejected stance.

"Albus!" she hurried down the granite steps, stopping feet from him, deciding he deserved some breathing room. "Are you alright, cousin?"

She heard him sigh softly. "Look at me, Rose, I'm such a…" he reached for the right word, "a drama queen, perfectly pathetic. It's just…" he paused, again, to take a wobbly breath, "I wasn't expecting it and me… I have to be honest, Rose, I really hate it. And I mean, _really _hate it. What am I supposed to do? I'm just a damn third wheel, a _friend_. And see, I couldn't even tolerate one simple, little kiss. Imagine if she got married to him? I just can't take it anymore."

He kept his back to her as he spoke, voice brutal and exhausted. Rose reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "I don't think you're a pathetic drama queen. You're actually quite the opposite, Albus, and I'm completely proud to have you as a cousin, no matter what I said today. And besides, Al, it is very unlikely Lena will marry Scorpius. I mean, we are _only_ sixth years, for Merlin's sake! So don't worry, she'll come around in time, who could resist you in all your glory?"

Albus twisted to face her with a watery smile on his lips, pain—as well as relief—reflecting in his eyes. Rose's heart swelled. She had actually helped him feel better, an accomplishment that she could be proud of instead of her earlier revelation. She grinned at her cousin, feeling a bond being built between the pair.

Albus scratched his hair. "Thanks… Rose. You're… You're really good at making someone feel better, you know? I really appreciate it."

"I'm pleased to help," she told him. "Want to go in now? This rain is getting a bit ridiculous."

He deliberated for a moment then shook his head slowly. "I'm going to stay out awhile, I—I'm scared to go into the common room," his voice cracked. "But you can go in."

Rose peered into his eyes and saw the distance, the need to contemplate, the want to wait out the storm—metaphorically, of course—so she nodded and bid him goodbye.

As she reached the top of the steps, she glanced back at him, making sure he was fine, and he was, with his shoulders no longer drooping as much and his head was held up instead of bent in defeat. She smiled sadly, slithering into the open door.

…

Albus sighed with deep hurt but in a way, with alleviation as well. The talk with his cousin had gone better than he expected, originally he thought she would just yell at him at how pitiful he was acting, but he was mistaken. Pain still sliced at his insides as he flashed back to moments before in the common room. Even thinking of it sent a sting through his mind and ice into his veins.

Right then, he was beyond envy, beyond jealousy, he was in the zone of hurt, waiting for the pain to stop and the anger to begin. He clutched his stomach, staring into the depths of the Forbidden Forest, oblivious to everything but the hammering rain that drenched his robes and hair.

"Well," a voice said behind him, "I really believed you were smarter than this."

Albus whirled to find a shadow, approaching him with a wand extended threateningly. "What the hell?" he asked when he saw who the shadow belonged to, but that was all he was able to say before he was struck by flying curse.

**A/N: Uh-oh! Hope you like it! This is sort of a segue into the next chapter, so you'll just have to wait for that! Reviews, please, please, please! :)**


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